


Three

by orphan_account



Category: Young Justice (Cartoon)
Genre: (Not as bad as it seems now lol), Anxiety, Depression, I like to make characters suffer, Kidnapping, M/M, Mental Anguish, Mental Health Issues, Other Additional Tags to Be Added
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-21
Updated: 2020-01-28
Packaged: 2020-10-25 03:23:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 8,372
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20717288
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Ah, The trio. Wynnde, Kaldur, and Garth. Well... They hope to get Garth on board.I'm still bad at summaries.





	1. 1

“Do all surface ‘hotels’ have these transporting devices?”  
Kaldur chuckled at Wynnde’s fascination with elevators as they rode up the levels to Garth’s apartment. This hotel had a weird layout at the top level, with multiple penthouses instead of one big one. It reminded him of an apartment complex, but the rest of the apartments were hotel rooms. Wynnde bounced on the balls of his feet, not really affecting the ride up, but the anxious movement made Kaldur instinctively place a hand on his shoulder. The elevator music chimed softly in a soft tune, but not even that could alleviate the brewing anxiety. A small bit of anxiety, but anxiety nonetheless.  
“What if he says no?” Wynnde asked, staring into Kaldur’s warm eyes. Kaldur was afraid of this question. He took his hand off of Wynnde’s broad shoulder, ran it down his arm, and took his rough hand. He used his thumb to run over Wynnde’s skin, feeling just how warm and thick the skin of his hand was.  
He sighed deeply, “Then we go together, just us.”  
Wynnde gave him a sad look. Kaldur could see it in his eyes, and how his eyes were worried with nervousness, “I know… It’s just that… We thought about this for such a long time.”  
“I know, my dear, but we also realized that Garth may not fancy our idea. We prepared for this, remember? If he says no, he says no, we will just go on.” Kaldur smiled softly, sadness lining his lips like a solemn lipgloss. He squeezed his hand in encouragement, “All we can do is try and hope.”  
Wynnde, for once, didn’t squeeze back.  
To Kaldur, it was very evident that this situation affected him more.  
The chime for the elevator sang, and the doors slid open slowly, revealing the hallway of penthouse doors. Wynnde piped up, “So… Which home is he settled in?”  
“106”  
They stepped out of the elevator, which went down to the next person that called it. The elevator music decided to follow them in their journey down the hall since that was the same exact melody that was used in the hallway. Wynnde wiggled his toes, not used to the rough texture of the hotel carpet, or any carpet for that matter. Wynnde had only been on the surface for a small period of time, coming from Atlantis to help him retrieve Nightwing and Black Lightning, and stayed with him for emotional support when he felt like a wreak. He hadn’t seen Garth in a long while, and he figured that all of the things fell into place, almost like it was planned by a higher being. Kaldur had to agree. The King had sent them to Garth to deliver his invite to the ball, Kaldur had a few days off, (Clark had almost demanded that he relax), and they had finally made their decision, Garth allowing.  
Wynnde trot beside Kaldur, squeezing his hand as they neared Garth’s apartment. It was evident to any onlookers, (If there were any), that the anxiousness was starting to build itself higher until it resembled an ancient stone tower. They could both feel it now, it’s heaviness pressing like a weight against their shoulders as Kaldur knocked on Garth’s front door. Kaldur gave Wynnde a small smile, “Let’s deliver the invite first, okay? Then, we’ll ease it in.”  
Wynnde smiled back.  
\---  
Garth looked up from his neat wrapping when he heard the rapping on his door, the abrupt motion causing some of his hair to fall in front of his mask-ridden face. He felt a slight panic rise in him. He wasn’t dressed properly, not even by a long shot. It wasn’t like he was naked, but he guessed answering the door in nothing but a robe, underwear, and bandaids would be improper. Not to mention, his face mask was still painted on his face. He calmed down a bit when he remembered, it was Kaldur and Wynnde that were coming over. He smiled, getting up from his kitchen’s barstool, (after he made sure the bandage was securely on his arms), and made his way to the front door, which wasn’t too far. He might be an ambassador, but he really liked more compact housing. He opened the door with a swift motion, grinning at the slightly startled face Wynnde made.  
“What in the world is on your face!” Wynnde exclaimed, causing Garth to laugh and back up a bit when Wynnde reached up to touch the sides of his face gently. He could feel the fascination radiate off of him and, in a sudden moment, Garth realized… That he liked Wynnde’s touch. He stared into Wynnde’s captivated eyes, still wearing a smile on his face, and placed his own delicate hands on top of Wynnde’s rougher ones. He hadn’t even notice Kaldur come in, close the door, and came to stand next to them, a smile on his face. His eyes fluttered slightly.  
Wynnde lowered his voice, his pitch low and dripping like honey, “What is on your face, dear?”  
Garth felt calm at the word dear and replied softly, “It’s called a clay face mask, it makes your face clean and smooth.”  
Wynnde smiled fondly. They stayed like that for a solid minute, Wynnde’s hands gently holding Garth’s face, with Garth rubbing soft circles into the back of Wynnde’s hands, both feeling tranquility. That is, until Kaldur coughed slightly, shaking Garth out of the hypnotic state. He let go of Wynnde’s hands, feeling his cheeks grow warm and tinted, and nearly pried his hands away from his face. He had forgotten that Kaldur was there, watching him and his boyfriend have a moment and that he should have just acted like a normal human being, but his touch starved body said no. Stepping away from Wynnde, much to his disappointment, (which he hoped wasn’t obvious), and addressed the other party in the room.  
“So… Um… What did you guys want?” Garth asked, then mentally kicked himself, “Wait, that sounded rude…”  
“No, no, it’s okay!” Kaldur laughed, “The king is having a ball and would like to know if you are coming…”  
Garth smiled sadly, not even having a second to think about it, “While I would love to go… I have nobody to go with. Besides, I don’t know if I might have a meeting for the UN.”  
Garth looked up at them. He felt something tug at his heartstrings. Perhaps it was the disappointed look on both of their faces, (Both?), or the sad emotions clouding his head, he really didn’t know.  
“Oh…” Wynnde exhaled, looking down at the floor. Garth felt his heart throb.  
“Well, I can check my schedule. If I have a meeting, then we can hang out today, okay?” Garth grinned, taking Wynnde and Kaldur’s hands in his own, making the mood feel happier. What was he doing, Garth wondered to himself.  
“We can?” Kaldur asked, sounding hopeful for some reason. Maybe it was because Garth said they could hang out? No, it couldn’t be that… Then what exactly?  
“Yeah! We can rent a movie, get some drinks, and just relax.” Garth replied letting go of their hands, “That is, after I get dressed and wash this mask off my face.”  
Wynnde laughed heartily, “Hanging out sounds fun! Should we go get the movie while you get dressed?”  
“If you guys don’t mind.”  
“Not at all, “ Kaldur replied, taking the door handle into his fist, “Any preference?”  
“Not really,” Garth shook his head, then wondered why they hadn’t moved away from the front door. Did they want to leave quickly?  
“Okay, then a movie and some drinks?” Wynnde spoke, his tone very jittery with excitement. Garth had a flash of confusion. Why was he so excited?  
“Yep!” Garth said, and with that, Wynnde and Kaldur left his apartment in search of a movie rental shop. He closed the door after them, locking it and made his way to the bathroom to wash the mask off of his face. It was time to take it off. He turned on the faucet, letting the warm, clear water run over his hands before he brought them up to scrub lightly. He thought to himself. Why were Kaldur and Wynnde so happy to spend time with him? They had each other to keep company… So… Why? Why did they look so disappointed when he said he couldn’t go to the ball… Did they want him to go? Ugh, his brain hurt. He was just glad none of them noticed or mentioned the bandages.  
He looked up from his hand and stared up at his face through the mirror. The bandages… He stared intently into his own eyes, ‘God, if they were to ever find out… They would…’  
What would they do?  
Garth sighed heavily, closing his eyes, “Might as well get dressed.”


	2. 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> confession time!

“I can’t wait to watch this movie!” Wynnde exclaimed, placing the DVD case on the kitchen table. Garth laughed at his child-like excitement, tucking his legs underneath him as he sat down on the couch. The couch gave a disapproving groan, dipping slightly. Wynnde smiled at him, strutting over to the couch and gently plopped down, causing the couch the yell in protest. Kaldur had dropped Wynnde off with the movie to go get some drinks, (he had forgotten them when they went to get the movie). Wynnde smiled softly, leaning against the couch cushions and turned his head to look at Garth.  
“So… How are you and Kaldur?” Garth asked, propping his head upon his hand. He was asking out of courtesy. He didn’t really want to know… The lonely feelings clouding his head would return for their second night in a row.  
Wynnde smiled softly, a tint lightly brushing over his cheeks, “Well, we’ve recently come up with a decision… But…”  
“A decision? Is it bad?” Garth asked, cocking a brow. He was happy for them, so he wanted them to be happy, even though it kind of hurt.  
“No, no! But, as I was going to say, it sort of… Involves you.” Wynnde was blushing fully now. Garth’s heart dropped… Were they getting married?  
“How…” Garth trailed on, his voice getting caught in his throat. Oh no. He could feel his emotions welling up quickly, tears beginning to form in his eyes. He turned his face away from Wynnde’s, keeping quiet as he felt tears gently roll down his cheeks. God, he felt like such a baby. This thought just made him frustrated and mad at himself, making tears of anger roll down his face as well.  
Wynnde frowned, concern hanging in the air like a thick cloud. He reached up, taking Garth’s cheek into his hand, “My dear, what’s wrong?”  
Garth didn’t reply, (he couldn’t), and simply nuzzled lightly against Wynnde’s palm. What was he doing? He was being vulnerable with Kaldur’s boyfriend, that was what was happening. What if Kaldur walked in at this moment? What if he got the wrong idea. It would crush him to know that he strained their relationship. He wouldn’t be able to even look at them! Wynnde’s frown deepened, and with that, he wrapped his arms around Garth’s middle, pulling him in close for a warm bear hug. Garth froze for a moment, before slowly wrapping his arms around Wynnde, returning the hug. He sobbed, tucking his head down against Wynnde’s shoulder. Now he felt more like a baby, clutching onto its mother. It hurt. So bad.  
“Oh, Garth. What’s troubling you?” Wynnde asked again, moving his arm up to rub circles on Garth’s upper back, “Please, you are worrying me.”  
He still couldn’t answer, and when he was in the motion of pulling his face away, he heard Kaldur enter the house. Kaldur must have dropped the bag of drinks because he heard a loud shatter as the glass bottles shattered against the tile of the kitchen floor, (his kitchen was in the same room as his living room). He flinched, pressing his face back against Wynnde’s shoulder. Kaldur jogged to them, kneeling beside them on the floor, “Garth? What happened?”  
“He won’t tell me… He just burst into tears.” Wynnde said, rubbing Garth’s back again. Kaldur pulled a Wynnde move, placing a hand against Garth’s cheek, (the one that was pressed against Wynnde’s shoulder), and making him turn his head to look at him. Garth stared into Kaldur’s alarmed eyes with his own watery, bloodshot eyes. Kaldur rubbed his cheek.  
“I… I’m… Sorry,” Garth sniffled, slinking down to snuggle against Wynnde.  
“For what, sweety?” Kaldur asked.  
Garth went quiet again, the only sound coming from him was sniffling, “I… Don’t know…”  
Wynnde piped up, “Should we tell him, Kaldur?”  
“Don’t you think he’s a little sensitive right now?” Kaldur asked, looking up at him. Garth nodded in agreement. Maybe the news shouldn’t be said. He might break again. “We should watch the movie first… but… We don’t have any drinks.”  
Garth chuckled softly, “It’s okay… I have some water bottles.”  
Kaldur nodded, getting up from the floor and wobbling to the kitchen. Wynnde still held Garth in his arms, still holding him tightly, not wanting to let him go. Garth didn’t want to be let go, enjoying every second of Wynnde’s warm embrace. It made him feel a little less lonely, he guessed, and if Kaldur didn’t tell him off for it, he guessed it was fine. He laid his head against Wynnde’s broad chest, gaining more warmth. None of the concern hanging in the air went away, and Garth couldn’t blame them. If Kaldur just burst into tears out of nowhere, they would both be very, very concerned for him.  
Unfortunately, Garth’s mind was teetering on ‘push them away, they have each other!’ and ‘let’s just enjoy this.’ He hated this war going on inside his head. He always felt like nobody cared about him, and if they did, they were faking. His arms throbbed, urging him to do that thing… That evil thing. That evil urge. He closed his eyes, his head throbbing from the bright light of the overhead lamp. Why did this always happen when he felt vulnerable? Perhaps it was because he was taught to be strong, to never show your vulnerability, and to show others your fine, even if you weren't. It really screwed him up when his brain says to do one thing, when your heart says to do something else. It hurt so bad when others cared about him, yet it felt so nice to be cared for. That’s why he was so conflicted right now. Wynnde was holding him, cuddling him. It felt so nice, but at the same time, Wynnde had Kaldur… Kaldur had Wynnde. They should care about each other… Not him. He could… No, that would be a lie. He couldn’t take care of himself. He would probably kill himself if he swam too deep, if his mental health took a sudden dip, but he wouldn’t, couldn’t, drag somebody to stay with him. They probably wouldn’t want to stay, that would make him feel worse.  
He felt tears welling up again. Goddamnit.  
Wynnde sighed, bringing him closer, (If that was even possible), and said softly, “Garth…”  
Kaldur came back to them, after placing the movie into the player, and sat next to them, just as worried as ever. He sat the water bottles on the side table, “Here,” he opened his arms, inviting Garth into his warmth. Garth looked up at Wynnde, who looked down at him with a sad smile, and shifted, getting up from Wynnde’s lap and sitting in Kaldur’s. Kaldur kissed his forehead, swiftly wrapping him in the plush blanket that lay across the arm of Garth’s couch, successfully making him a little sushi roll.  
Garth sighed softly, wiping his eyes, “You guys don’t have to-”  
“We want to,” Kaldur said, pulling him close. Wynnde followed this action, turning Garth into a sandwich, “We really do.”  
Garth felt his heart throb.  
Wynnde continued, “For a while now, we’ve been thinking…”  
Garth saw Kaldur give Wynnde a look.  
“You know… Polygamy is legal in Atlantis…” Kaldur mumbled.  
Oh…  
Oh!  
Garth went wide eyed, “... But me? When there are more people deserving of that?”  
“Garth,” Wynnde looked down, swiping a piece of his hair away from his face, “We want you. We realized a while ago… That we both cherished you. We wanted to tell you so bad, but we were waiting for the right time… I guess now wasn’t the best time, but still.”  
Kaldur hummed in agreement, “Garth…”  
Garth looked between them, eyes welling up again, “I… I…”  
“You don’t have to answer now, just think about it… Okay?” Kaldur said, carding his fingers through Garth’s hair.  
Garth coughed, “I just… Didn’t know you guys felt that way… And… Wouldn’t I just be a third wheel?”  
“No, my dear. Like a table with three legs, it needs all three legs to function properly. You matter to us.”  
Garth felt tears run over his cheeks again. He… Mattered to them?  
“I… I need to go to the bathroom,” Garth said after a moment of silence, getting up and wobbling to the bathroom. He stepped into the tiled bathroom, closing and locking the bathroom door. He hung his head over the sink, letting his tears fall against the marbled sink. Oh god. He sank to the floor, pulling his knees up to his chest as he sobbed quietly.  
He… Mattered to them?  
It wasn’t a thing he could comprehend. The fact that they wanted to bring him into their relationship confused him.  
Why?  
He held himself, head throbbing as he cried. God, he felt like a giant baby.  
He really wanted to be a part of them, but…  
But what?  
Garth held his head in his hands.  
Kaldur knocked on the bathroom door, his voice sounding alarmed and concerned, “Garth? Did we…”  
“No! No… It’s not that!” Garth choked out, laying his head back against the wall, sobbing, “I just… I’ve just bent feeling so horrible about myself. I can’t seem to find any joy in anything… I want to stay in bed all day… God, sometimes I don’t even want to eat. It’s just… I can’t see why anybody would care about me! That’s why… I freaked. I never thought I would matter to anyone…”  
He could hear Kaldur sit on the floor, probably sitting against the wall beside the door, “Oh Garth… I never knew you felt that way. Trust me when I say, we really do care about you. You matter, not just to us. You’re the ambassador of Atlantis! You’re a dear companion, and now, you’re a dear lover. Believe it or not, we cherish you, and we love you. As we said, we have thought about this for a long time.”  
Garth smiled solemnly, “It hurts. It hurts so bad.”  
“I know, but will you trust us to help you?” Wynnde spoke this time.  
Garth sighed, “Please… Help.”


	3. 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Garth thinks back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so this one may be a bit heavy, so beware?

Garth hated waiting rooms with a burning passion and he knew he would always hate them. He hated the lack of color, he hated the sterile scent. The chairs, which were made with hard plastic and had a somewhat spongy cushion on the seat, always made his lower back grumble in protest.   
Even now, he hated the anxiousness of waiting.  
On his left, Kaldur held his hand softly, while the other hand, (Kaldur’s other hand), showed Garth cute videos of puppies and people falling on their faces on his phone to try and ease his anxiousness, (it sort of worked). On his right, Wynnde held his other hand tightly, his thumb pad stroking his whitening knuckles. Garth held onto both of their hands as if they were his life support, trying to use their presence as a crutch, a crutch to calm down. Neither of them seemed to mind, thank heaven.   
He couldn’t wait to get this session over with.   
Garth laid his head on Kaldur’s shoulder, his hair following after his scalp. He enjoyed the warmth and the safety their warmth protruded, but he knew it wouldn’t last forever. He prayed they would let him out early, but it was only a prayer, a hope. He didn’t know if he could be without their warmth, even though he has done so in earlier times, but this time it was different.   
The first time he had been here was a bit after Tula died… Actually, no. That wasn’t true. He never got to wait in the waiting room, because, he guessed an attempted suicide attempt was an emergency. That was not a fun time, because when he woke up, head foggy, the king was there, sitting beside his bed. The king was so worried about him because that hadn’t been the first time he had been hospitalized.   
“Garth?”  
Garth looked up, tensing a bit when he saw that the person who had called his name held a clipboard in their hands. He got up, letting go of Kaldur and Wynnde’s hands reluctantly to follow the nurse.   
“We’ll be here when you get out!” Kaldur called after him as he swam alongside the nurse, past a few doors, and down a long, brightly lit corridor. As they went along, Garth eyed the other closed doors anxiously while the nurse asked questions, recording his bland, jittery responses. These questions always seemed to bring back terrible memories, nightmares in the daylight, so he was glad when the questions got cut off, for now, at least.   
“Please take a seat, the doctor will be in shortly,” the nurse said, opening one of the doors to reveal a nifty little office. Garth nodded, swimming past the nurse, who left promptly and sitting down in the plushest looking one. His doctor revamped his office. Gentle fairy lights were strung up around the perimeter of the room, giving off a soft glow. In front of Garth, a small circular table stood, a neat looking table cloth flowing off of it. On top of the table, a basket sat. Inside the basket, a few foam animals lay dormant amongst some other fidget things. The whole room made him feel a bit calm and serene. When he sat, the chair dipped with his weight. He sighed, leaning back. He closed his eyes. He wanted to be in his boyfriends’ warmth. He wanted to snuggle between them. Then again…  
He always second-guessed himself.   
A knock at the door pulled him out of his dark thoughts, and in swam the doctor, his coat flowing elegantly behind him. In his hands, he held a thick stack of documents, most likely more questions to ask him. It made his heart drop a bit.   
This was going to be fun.   
\---  
He remembered the blood. He remembered her limp body as he held her in his hands. Why did she have to sacrifice herself? They could have found another way, the would have found a better way. No amount of military hero training could have prepared him for this. The weight of loss on his back as he sobbed, still kneeling there on the dusty ground. He could hear the rest of his teammates call this into the league, while he could feel Kaldur’s firm hand gently rubbing his back, but he couldn’t be consoled.   
When they got back to the cave, he immediately shut himself in his room, not answering or opening the door to anyone. He just collapsed onto his bed, curling up against the mattress. He could hear Black Canary and Aquaman both trying to coax him out of his room, but he didn’t dare budge an inch. He covered his head with his blanket, tears starting to roll down his cheeks and stain his pillow. His whole body felt like lead, heavy and thick. He just lost a part of himself, a piece that proved life was worth living for. He closed his eyes. His head throbbed, and it wasn’t from his bedroom light, (it wasn’t even on). He fell asleep, Garth’s day feeling like a hazy dream, bordering on real-life and fantasy.   
Garth never left his room that week, not even coming out to get food. He didn’t get up from bed most of the time, just laying on his back, covered in blankets, and stared up at the dark ceiling. He got up to hydrate once and awhile. He never opened his door to any of his teammates, he didn’t even open his door to any of the adults, mostly Black Canary, (“Come out, please, talking about it will make you feel better”), and Aquaman, (Garth, please open the door. I am worried about you, son”). He spent his time mostly sleeping, his days now feeling blurred together like some weird dream. He often forgot to eat, causing his body weight to drop. His body didn’t get enough of the required nutrients each day, so his body started to take some away from his muscles, making him cold and achy. Sometimes, (becoming more frequent in the following weeks), he would hobble his way to the connected bathroom and cut, making thin, red marks along his arms. He didn’t react to the pain physically, but he reacted mentally. It was the only time he felt anything at all. He knew he could kill himself by doing this… but in reality, he didn’t care. He invited death. He often wondered if death could be more painful than this, but he said no to himself.   
His thoughts often wandered towards death and self-inflicted death.   
The league thought that Garth spent way too much time in his room, (he wasn’t aware he had isolated himself for a month already), so they agreed. Force open the door. When they finally pried open the door, they, (being Superboy with Aquaman and the team behind them), they saw the thin, reduced form Garth had become. He had moved to sit up, squinting at the light that streamed in from the hallway despite the number of bodies that crowded his doorway. He heard the surprised gasps of his teammates, then, heard his king shoo them away. The only one who didn’t leave was Kaldur, who looked like he had just seen a ghost. Aquaman walked into the room, turning the lights on. Garth closed his eyes in pain, head throbbing rhythmically. He had come to crouch beside him, reaching up to take Garth’s sunken cheek in his hand.  
That day, he was put into a mental health facility in Atlantis.   
He stayed there for months, not getting better. He wouldn’t talk to his therapist, but he was able to get his body weight back up. That wasn’t their main concern, though. They tried every tactic to try to get him to talk, but it wouldn’t work. Garth just wouldn’t do it.   
He wouldn’t be vulnerable around a stranger.   
In the end, he did. It had caught him off guard. When he went in for his next stupid therapy session, Kaldur was there, sitting in one of the chairs that the therapists usually sit in. He looked like he was just getting over crying about something, but he didn’t know what. He went over to him, raised his arms, and pulled him into a hug.   
Kaldur hugged back, pulling him closer.   
After that, Kaldur had started coming to Garth’s therapy sessions, and Garth could agree that it helped them a lot in the end. Garth finally had the willpower to go on, finally found a reason to live. Friends, family, cute animals, you name it. He started studying and went to college, becoming Atlantis’ diplomat. He did start to drift away from Kaldur, but hey, you can’t always control those things.   
But when did the symptoms come back?   
He had no idea.   
\---  
“Your first formal session will be on Friday,” the therapist said, leading Garth to the door that he went through with the nurse. He dabbed his eyes with the back of his hand, sniffling a bit. They had decided on outpatient, with him coming in on Mondays, (Mondays will be learning healthy coping mechanisms), Wednesdays, (Wednesdays being a group work thingy), and Fridays, (Fridays being therapy/counseling sessions). He nodded in agreement.   
He passed through the door, and after being given a little card to remember his appointment, he swam up to Kaldur and Wynnde, pulling both of them into a hug. He snuggled into their warmth, sighing happily. He pulled back after a bit, smiling at them sadly.   
“Can I speak to one of you for a moment?” they heard the therapist say, waving over Kaldur, or Wynnde, whoever. Kaldur smiled at Garth, then moved away from them to talk to the therapist. Wynnde took Garth's hands into his, holding them tightly.   
“My dear, how are you feeling?” Wynnde asked, smiling softly.   
Garth shrugged, “I feel… Better? I don’t know… They’re putting me in the outpatient program. I can’t be alone for long periods… So that’s fun. I get to spend more time with you guys though!”  
Wynnde grinned, kissing his cheek, “Wonderful. We will make you feel better, or try or damn best.”   
Garth felt his heart swell. Kaldur swam up beside them, holding a packet in his hand, clearly done with his conversation with the therapist. He took Garth’s hand in his unoccupied one, while Wynnde still held Garth’s other hand, “Ready to go, my loves?”  
Garth nodded, “So ready.”  
They all nodded and began their swim to Kaldur’s dwelling since it was closer.


	4. 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Garth sees the bedroom.

“What do you want for dinner?”   
Garth looked up from his small notebook and stopped writing. It was a few hours after his therapy session and he was happy that he only had to be closely monitored and participate in therapy. Garth shrugged. He was hungry, yeah, but he wasn’t picky. He capped his pen, sliding it into the pen loop and closed the notebook.   
“I’m not picky,” he said, shifting against the kitchen table’s chair. He had to admit, as much as the chairs were uncomfortable, they were very… Fashionable? They looked very fitting with the rest of Kaldur’s home decor. He wondered who did the decorating. Probably Kaldur with some of Wynnde’s help. He had a keen eye on that type of thing.  
Wynnde swam into the kitchen, holding a small bag in his hands. He was grinning from ear to ear as he set it down in front of Garth. Garth laughed softly as Wynnde swam up behind him, wrapping his arms around him and pulling him into a hug.   
“A gift?” Garth asked, inspecting the small bag with his eyes. He could feel Wynnde’s bubbling excitement radiating off of him.   
Wynnde nodded, “We got it for you a while back. It was a special order, personally made for you.”  
Garth’s heart swelled in good feelings, “Aw, guys, you didn’t have to!”  
“We wanted to! You are a part of us, and we want to make sure you feel it!” Kaldur said, leaning against the table, grabbing Garth’s hand and pulling it up to kiss his knuckles. Garth sighed happily, snuggling into Wynnde’s warmth, using his other hand to reach for the bag. That is until Kaldur’s contacts began to glow, “Wait.”  
Neither Wynnde or Garth could gage what was going on, looking at Kaldur with skeptical eyes. Garth pulled his hand back, reaching up to rub Wynnde’s shoulder. Wynnde kissed the top of his head in response.  
“Kaldur?” Wynnde asked, still eyeing him in confusion.   
“I apologize, my dears,” Kaldur replied after a minute of silence, “The league needs me to come in.”  
“I thought you were on a break?” Garth said.  
“It is an emergency,” Kaldur retorted, swimming down into the corridor, then slipped into what Garth guessed was the master bedroom, which he had not seen yet, “I need to be present.”  
“Do you want us to go with you?” Wynnde called after him.  
A fine moment of silence.   
“No… You guys stay here. Relax, but please don’t open the gift yet!” Kaldur replied, emerging out of the bedroom in his costume. His whole being was defined to perfection in his suit, the tight fabric stretched over his well-built muscles. Garth smiled warmly. Kaldur deserved the title of Aquaman and he fit the role of his old mentor.   
Garth nodded, hopping off of the chair to pull Kaldur into a hug, “Stay safe… Come back alive.”  
Kaldur hugged him back, placing a kiss on Garth’s cheek, “I will try, my dear.”  
Wynnde came up beside them, kissing Kaldur’s cheek.  
Kaldur smiled warmly at both of them before turning to leave to begin his swim to the palace, (the nearest boom tube). Wynnde reached down to take Garth’s hand. Garth accepted the gesture, holding his hand tightly as they stood there, not doing anything, just watching Kaldur leave.  
“So…” Garth started but faltered in the end. So what?  
Wynnde hummed in agreement. What would they do now? They could watch a movie… but they didn’t have a DVD player. Besides, they forgot the movie they were going to watch in Garth’s penthouse on the surface. So that was almost out of the question. Most of the shops were closed by now, and the bar was probably not the best place to go.  
“We could watch television… There’s bound to be something on,” Garth suggested, “Or… We can take a nap?”  
Wynnde nodded, “A nice nap would be nice, especially after the day you’ve had.”  
Garth nodded in agreement as well, “Okay. Do you have any sleep clothes? My house is kind of far to swim to in the night.”  
Wynnde said, “I don’t have any clean ones, but you can just wear one of my comfortable shirts. Do you want to sleep in the spare room?”  
“We’re a thing now… Shouldn’t we rest in the same bed?” Garth asked, following behind Wynnde as he swam down the hallway, still holding his hand, and popped into the open doorway of the bedroom. He stared into the room, not focusing on one thing, but focusing on everything.   
As Wynnde let go of his hand and disappeared into the closet, (wow, that sure was a deep closet), Garth swam to sit down on the bed, which looked like it could hold five average-sized men. When he sat, the plush surface of the mattress cradled his bottom, sinking in slightly. He placed his hand down, running his palm over the sheet-covered mattress, his delicate fingers tracing the intricate design woven into it. He looked around him, taking in the new location.   
A distance away from the foot of the bed stood a tall, finely crafted stand, where a small television set sat on the top, waiting patiently to be powered on. On the first shelf of the stand, cute, little knick-knacks set in a neat row collected small, almost microscopic, sand particles, making a thin film on the surfaces. He smiled softly, inspecting the things further.   
A smallish, bumpy pink shell was first in line. He knew where that was from! Garth couldn’t believe Kaldur had kept it! For so long, too… Besides the pink shell, a smaller item stood, its character propped up on a carved box. A pearl. That one was something he didn’t recognize. Must have been a gift from Wynnde.   
He pulled his eyes away.  
A few feet away from the stand stood a tall, intricate lamp, whose shade was an embroidered version of Mount Justice. It was lovely. In the bright blue sky, black little bird flapped their little wings. The mountain itself rose in all of its glory, the jagged peak scraping the clouds. At the base of the mountain, sandy shores and bright green grass circled it, creating a beautiful skirt. Beyond the shore, calm ocean waters licked the grains of sand as it went back and forth. Back and forth.   
Garth smiled warmly.   
“Ah, here it is!” Wynnde exclaimed as he pulled a short-sleeved shirt out of the closet with force. It was a plain white shirt and looked like it could fit the beefy, tough dudes. In all honesty, it looked like it was probably Kaldur’s at one point.   
Garth grinned, taking the shirt from Wynnde. The fabric of the tunicy shirt was soft against his fingertips, “Thank you.”  
In terms of getting dressed, Garth wasn’t shy when changing in front of others. So instead of going to change in the privacy of the bathroom or sending Wynnde to wait outside, he lifted his shirt off of his form, letting it float gracefully to the floor. He could see Wynnde’s eyes trying to advert themselves from his chest and lower half, but failing miserably. Garth, showing off just a bit, reached up to the ceiling and stretched, his muscles flexing in response. Wynnde blushed deeply. Garth smirked slyly, taking the shirt that Wynnde had given him and slid it on torturously slow, letting the fabric tickle his skin, making goosebumps rise on his arms.   
“You little tease!” Wynnde growled, his voice deep.  
Garth laughed, “Only a little, my dear.”   
Wynnde grabbed his waist, pulling him closer to kiss his lips. Garth froze for a moment, but then melted into it, kissing him back deeply. He wrapped his arms around his neck, bringing him closer. He hummed into Wynnde’s mouth, and they moved into a rhythm.   
They pulled back, panting slightly, “Woah.”  
Wynnde chuckled.  
“Shouldn’t we… Wait for Kaldur?” Garth asked, blushing deeply.  
“If you want to have a… A…” Wynnde trailed off, blushing as well.   
Oh… Yeah, “Yeah… I guess I'll wait if you don’t mind.”  
“I don’t mind,” he smiled, kissing his cheek.  
Now to nap.


	5. 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Garth has a dream

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is a bit shorter, but the next one will be longer, i promise

Garth loved snuggling.  
Wynnde had wrapped them in the bed’s comforter, bringing it up to their chins before wrapping his arms around Garth and pulling him close, close enough for Garth to snuggle into Wynnde’s chest. He sighed, loving and savoring the heat produced by Wynnde, that he just realized, the blanket was trapping, creating more warmth. Garth slung his free arm over the curve of Wynnde’s hip, while the other arm suffered by being trapped under Garth’s weight, (it was wedged between his side and the mattress). Poor arm.  
Being snuggled into a chest had its weird benefits. One was that the thump of a lover’s heartbeat was like a white noise machine, lulling the snuggled to a peaceful rest. The other advantage was the lovely warmth being produced. The water cooler in the room was cranked to full blast, (for reasons unknown. It was almost autumn and it was starting to cool), cooling the water to an almost freezing temperature. Wynnde hadn’t seemed that affected to the cold, but Garth, well, he had loads of goosebumps appearing on his skin. Doing that teasing thing probably wasn’t the brightest idea, the cold making his nipples erect. The thought made him chuckle.   
“What are you laughing about, my love?” Wynnde asked, looking down at him. He reached up with his free hand, letting his fingers gently card through Garth’s silky hair.   
Garth hummed at the action, “Nothing… Just…”   
“Just?”  
“Alpacas in hats,” Garth lied, completely straight-faced.  
“What is an alpaca?”   
Garth didn’t respond and instead snuggled deeper into Wynnde’s chest. The soft fabric of Wynnde’s shirt felt smooth and velvety against his cheek. He closed his eyes, his eyelids fluttering as he summoned sleep, beckoning it to possess his body and deliver him to a comfortable slumber tied together with wonderful dreams.   
Sleep came after a few minutes of waiting, the sleepy fog enveloping his brain which allowed him to drift off peacefully to sleep.  
Or, he thought so, at least.  
\---  
“Kaldur! Wynnde!”  
Garth treads carefully through the foggy darkness, his footfalls quietly echoing along the hallway. He continued walking down the hall when the end opened up into a wobbly balcony. He braced himself against the metal railing and looked down at the scene that waited for him.  
A group of unfamiliar teenagers fought against another group, who were dressed in thick, black clothing. His heart skipped a beat in fear. The people were dressed the same as the people who tried to kill him. The teenagers were fighting back, but there was something off about one. While the others fought flawlessly, another one was struggling to keep the shape of her water figure, which she was using to try and catch flying arrows. She wasn’t someone he recognized. She had thick, curly hair, which fell at her shoulders and bounced as she darted from place to place. Her thin-framed glasses sat loosely on the bridge of her nose, which she would have pushed up if she weren’t concentrating. She was dressed in a neatly polished scale, which glimmered in the warm light. It felt familiar to him, but he didn’t know why.  
“Tempest!” she shrieked, panicking. A pipe must have been burst, because water began to gush, flooding the carpeted floor. He raised his arms, deciding to help her out. Together, they stopped the flying arrows and redirected them towards the villains. The villains retreated, yelling in an angry tone. He could feel the water relax as the girl relaxed. She smiled up at him, but then his body turned around, and on wobbly legs, he began to walk down another hallway, despite the girl’s shouts of, “Come back!”  
His body didn’t respond. This new hallway was dark, but it wasn’t foggy, and there wasn’t a roof. He looked up. The sky was a stunning dark blue, who had to shine, twinkling stars freckled along its face. He smiled, but the end turned into another balcony, however, this one was way sturdier. The rail surrounding the perimeter was fine, solid oak wood.  
On the floor in front of him was a loaded gun.  
“Garth?” Garth heard a soft, woman’s voice say. He didn’t turn around, but he knew it was the girl. She sounded… Sad, “Please don’t.”  
He looked down at his hands. When had he picked this up?  
“I need you. They need you. Please.” she pleaded.  
His body put the gun up to his temple.  
“Please,” she said weakly.  
He pulled the trigger.   
\---  
Garth sat up in a flash, panting. He patted the side of his head quickly, making sure he was alive. Wynnde wasn’t beside him, only an empty spot where he should be.  
“Wynnde?” Garth asked out loud, placing a hand on his chest, feeling his quickly beating heart. No response. No noise. Garth took in a deep breath, trying to calm himself down before hopping off of the bed and popping his head out of the bedroom doorway. The house was quiet and dark, giving him an eerie feeling in his gut.   
Something wasn’t right. Not even a lamp was turned on.   
He gulped, gently pushing himself out of the doorway and into the narrow hallway, bracing himself for every possibility. He could hear nothing but the heavy heartbeats his body was producing. He swam down the hallway slowly, fists balled up. He entered the living room, eyes narrowing to spy the darkness. He felt like he was being watched. He raised his fists, summoning, (or trying to summon), his powers to try and illuminate the room, but then he felt a small pin-prick on the back of his neck.   
He passed out, floating gently to the floor, eyes slipping closed.


	6. 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thinking Back

And... This will be your room, Sir." 

We are taken back in time to about a year after Tula's passing.

Garth peered into the small room from the large doorway, his eyes already being pissed off at the amount of warm light that flooded the room from the lamps. Granted, he did spend literal months in a pitch-black room, so his eyes weren't yet used to the glow of lamp lights. He glided into the room while the nurse popped open a hidden closet near the bathroom door, hanging up some spare clothes that had passed an earlier inspection. The closet was not a large one, almost the size of a medium wall safe. The clothes had to be folded for them to fit. It could only fit clothes. He knew he wouldn't be able to dump his full dinner plates into the small box, Where would he hide his clothes? What would happen to the eventually rotting food? He checked the box-closet off his list as places to hide stuff in. Next to the small closet was a bathroom, who's door was a sheet of foggy, striped glass. For safety reasons, he thought, as he turned his attention away from the bathroom and towards the row of windows that were slotted open to let in the fresh ocean water. They were tall but unfortunately for him, had heavy-duty locks that sealed them up tight at the top, and soon, the bottom. The glass was shatterproof as well, so there was no amount of force that could get him out of this place through the windows, not even his powers. What a shame. Outside, he could spy a large courtyard, where shimmering stalks of seaweed were cut down to look like solitary grass blades. Beautiful coral encircled the perimeter, growing tall and lengthy. Some of the more flexible ones waved at him, wiggling smoothly in small currents that weaved past them. He felt sick already. 

He absentmindedly ran his fingertips delicately over the surface of the small writing desk the room had come with, which had some weird, smoothed down edges. The top held no pencils, no pens. 

"You'll have to ask us for a pen to write with." The nurse spoke, cutting through the unimportant thoughts floating around in his head. Greaaaattttt. Another micromanager. 

He hummed, slightly to her but more to himself as he moved away from the curvy desk and finally, finally, laid down on the bed, which was just an average hospital room cot with sheets and two pillows. They sunk underneath his weight, and he sighed as he let his body be eased into the mattress and pillows. He let his eyes slip closed. Perfect. Now, if only those stupid lights could be turned off. 

"Your schedule is on the desk. Dinner will be in ten." She reminded him, swimming back out into the hall, leaving the door wide open. 

Dinner? Schedule? Oh dear, it's boarding school all over again. He pushed those thoughts out of his mind, craning his neck back to burrow deeper into the pillows. 

Why did they do this? He was perfectly fine in his room, it's not like he was hurting anyone, and he doubted anyone noticed he was gone. He was never important before... Why did they treat him like such now? Not important. They could have done without me. I wouldn't have been such... Such... He couldn't think of a word. All he knew is that they never needed him in the first place. They were perfectly content with Kaldur. Tall, handsome Kaldur... 

He felt unidentifed tears welling up his eyes already. Why? Why was he crying? He was supposed to be an uncrackable egg, a wall of untold emotions. Yet... He felt so damn weak. He wasn't supposed to be weak! He was supposed to be a warrior, supposed to be tough, both physically and emotionally. That's what the military had taught him, trained him to do. He didn't even know why he was crying! 

Weak, weak, weak, weak!

He turned onto his side, away from the open door, and screwed his eyes shut tighter. Why did he have to be here? 

A little bit of unresponsive therapy wasn't going to work on him. He refused to let anybody see his weakness. He REFUSED. 

And he will keep refusing until they kick him out, or until the King sees that it's not working and lets him out.

He refused

\---

So it turns out you can't skip out on dinner, Garth learned. 

He had just had his mini-breakdown and was curled tightly into a ball on the bed, hugging his knees up close to his chest while he closed his eyes and listened to the bustling people that swam past his room's open doorway. His head throbbed in agony. He just wanted to go back to HIS room, where it was dark, quiet, and unmoving, even if it wasn't healthy. He missed his normal. A few minutes later, he could hear the bustling get louder, with more people talking and laughing softly as they made their way to the dining hall, (wherever that was, he had to be practically rushed here). Garth made no attempt to get up to shut the door, (If that was even possible), or even go to dinner to please... His therapist? Whatever! He just laid there on the bed, willing himself to go to sleep. 

He wished he could have been a deep sleeper. 

About ten minutes later, Garth, (In his drowsy, half-awake position), heard a firm knock on the doorframe of his room. Garth's eyes fluttered open, and he immediately groaned at the light in the room, just as he did moments before.

"Sir, you're late for dinner," the nurse's voice called out sweetly. It made Garth's head throb even more, "Is something wrong?"

"Yeah, I'm stuck in this fuckin' place," Garth growled, sounding a bit more mean than he had intended to sound. He seemed to be stuck in his rebellious phase, fantastic. 

"Please. You need to have some food, socialize, do something other than laying in bed for hours on end." She spoke again. He could hear the thump of her back hitting the wall as she leaned against it. 

"I could really care less." He sneered. 

"... Do I need to page some help, Garth?" She asked. He could feel her eyes burning a hole through the back of his head. 

He squirmed, annoyed, "No."

"Then get up."

He closed his eyes again, pushing the nurse's buttons. 'Let's see where this gets me.'

\---


	7. Notice! From the Author!

So i've had this work going on for a while now, and i'm sorry to say it, but i'm going to be canceling this story. But do not worry! This story, and very soon many of my other series will be erased and made new, with better reading content! Keep an eye out of it!

-aquabee_13


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